Mortaza and Tamim included in Bangladesh team

Bangladesh opening batsman Zunaed Siddique and left-arm spinner Enamul Haque Jr. from an 18-man team announced on Tuesday for next month's home Tri-series against India and Sri Lanka.

Skipper Mashrafe Mortaza and opening batsman Tamim Iqbal were included despite fitness concerns. Mashrafe Mortaza undergoes knee surgery in September and Tamim Iqbal is carrying a hand injury.

Fast bowler Shafiul Islam was the only uncapped player named in the squad.

Team: Mashrafe Mortaza (Skipper), Shakib Al Hasan (vice-captain), Mohammad Ashraful, Abdur Razzak, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Tamim Iqbal, Syed Rasel, Roqibul Hassan, Mahmud Ullah, Nazmul Hossain, Naeem Islam, Imrul Kayes, Rubel Hossain, Shahadat Hossain, Shahriar Nafees, Aftab Ahmed, Alok Kopali, Shafiul Islam.

Muralitharan ruled out ODI series due to injury

Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has more or less been ruled out of the ongoing ODI series against India due to a finger injury that he had continued during the 3rd Test match in Mumbai, according to Lanka team sources.

Muralitharan is expected to leave the team on Wednesday and head back home.

Sri Lankan Team Manager Brendon Kuruppu, however, declined to confirm or deny the development and said declaration will be made on the next day.

Muralitharan had injured his finger while playing football during team's training session at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, where Sri Lanka was playing 3rd Test match against India.

Due to his injury, Muralitharan had also been ruled out of the both Twenty20 international against India at Nagpur and Mohali and 1st ODI in Rajkot.

India win high-scoring humdinger

India beated Sri Lanka by 3 runs in the 1st one-day international here on Tuesday to take the lead in the five-match series

India are thrilled, Sri Lanka are gutted. Forget that there was no contest between the bat and the ball but for the last 10 overs, these two teams fought hard. One hundred and four boundaries hit, 825 runs scored, and only three runs separate them.

Spare a thought for T. Dilshan, Kumara Sangakkara and Tharanga, who - under the pressure of a huge chase - played such magnificent knocks. Celebrate the innings from Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni, the spin bowling from Harbhajan Singh, and the death bowling from Zaheer Khan and Nehra. But also remember that this was a substandard international pitch and a small ground.

Brief Scores

India: 414/7 (50 over)

V. Sehwag 146 (102)
MS Dhoni 72 (53)
S. Tendulkar 69 (63)

Sri Lanka: 411/8 (50 over)

T. Dilshan 160 (124)
KC Sangakkara 90 (43)
WU Tharanga 67 (60)

Man of the Match: Virender Sehwag

Yuvraj Singh doubtful for first ODI

Yuvraj Singh is a doubtful for the 1st ODI against Sri Lanka due to a finger injury and a final decision on his availability would be taken tomorrow.

"The Indian Team management will take a final decision tomorrow whether Yuvraj would play or not, after looking at the report submitted by the orthopedic surgeon," said Shah told PTI.

The former BCCI secretary refused to comment further on the doctor's report.

However, BCCI sources said they are hopeful that the volatile batsman would be fit to play the 1st ODI on Tuesday.

"Yuvraj seems to have suffered a hairline fracture on his little finger and the team management is hopeful he will be able to play the 1st ODI at Rajkot on Tuesday," BCCI sources said.

Yuvraj was taken to Dr Dinkar Virparia's clinic late in the evening for check-up after the left-hander complained of pain in his little finger on his left hand due to an injury suffered during the 2nd T20i match in Mohali.

Later he was taken to the Rajkot Imaging Centre where an X-ray of his finger was taken.

Earlier in the day, India and Sri Lanka teams arrived at Rajkot for the 1st ODI of the five-match series, beginning Tuesday. The teams arrived on a chartered plane amid tight security.

Herschelle Gibbs may quit International Cricket

South African opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs may quit International Cricket after being left out of the ODI team against England, but will remain available for his IPL side the Deccan Chargers.

Quoting an unnamed basis close to Gibbs, Afrikaans daily 'Beeld' said Gibbs' conclusion had "nothing to do with the fact that he has been omitted from the national side for the umpteenth time."

"Although he still has to weigh up a few choices, Gibbs feels that he has had enough after such a long career," the source was quoted as saying.

Neither Gibbs nor his manager Donne Commins have commented on the report.

South African coach Mickey Arthur too has without any knowledge of the development, remaining adamant that Gibbs was part of his plan for the 2011 World Cup in South Asia.

Gibbs has had an exciting international career of 13 years, often at the centre of controversies ranging from match-fixing to stuff abuse. However, he is still regarded as one of the best opening batsmen in the world.

But Gibbs' batting has been contradictory in recent years, with his last one-day century coming in April this year against Australia in Port Elizabeth.

Tri-Series in Bangladesh 2010 Schedule

Date	Match Details	Time	Venue
Jan 04	Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, 1st match Sri won by 7 wickets	2:ooPM	Dhaka
Jan 05	India v Sri Lanka, 2nd match Sri Won by 5 Wickets	2:00PM	Dhaka
Jan 07	Bangladesh v India, 3rd match Ind won by 6 wickets	2:00PM	Dhaka
Jan 08	Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, 4th match	2:00PM	Dhaka
Jan 10	India v Sri Lanka, 5th match	2:00PM	Dhaka
Jan 11	Bangladesh v India, 6th match	2:00PM	Dhaka
Jan 13	TBC v TBC, Final	2:00PM	Dhaka

India in Bangladesh tour 2010 Schedule

India can rise with SA fall in ICC ODI Rankings

South Africa's defeat would be India's gain as MS Dhoni's men stand to get back the 2nd spot in ICC one-day rankings if England beat the Proteas in a 5-match ODI series starting Friday in Johannesburg.

India had tripped to 3rd after losing a 7-match ODI series against Australia 2-4 a few weeks ago.

In individual rankings, South African Skipper Graeme Smith has the opportunity to put pressure on top ranked Indian foil MS Dhoni and 2nd-placed Michael Hussey in the list for ICC ODI batsmen.

An all-out triumph for the 6th-placed England would see them rise to 3rd and leave the 2nd-placed hosts 5th.

But if Graeme Smith's side manages to win the ODI series 5-0 it will close the gap with Australia to just two points. However, if the Proteas win 3-2, their triumph margin will not be enough to maintain 2nd place and they will slip to 3rd behind India.

If Andrew Strauss' side win the ODI series 3-2, it would rise to 5th in the ICC ODI rankings and South Africa would drop to 3rd, again providing India with 2nd place.

No victory situation can see either team putting any pressure on the current table toppers Australia.

In the Rankings for ODI batsmen, Graeme Smith is still the highest-ranked player of either side at the 3rd spot.

Afridi stars in a clinical Pakistan win

Shahid Afridi hits an aggressive half-century and getting two wickets to cap Pakistan's 138-run win over New Zealand in the 1st ODI day-night international here on Tuesday.

Afridi's 49-ball 70 supplemented by Kamran Akmal's undefeated 43-ball 67 and Khalid Latif's steady maiden fifty lifted Pakistan to an impressive 287-9 before they shot New Zealand out for 149 in the 40th over.

The victory, which gave Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the 3-match one-day series, was also cute revenge for the winners who lost to New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2009 semi-final last month.

The remaining two matches will be played here on Friday and Monday, before the two teams move to Dubai for two Twenty20 internationals on November 12 and 13.

Pakistan v New Zealand in UAE 2009

Date	Match Details	Time (GMT)	Venue
Nov 3 - Tue	Pakistan v New Zealand, 1st ODI Pak won by 138 runs	11.00	Abu Dhabi
Nov 6 - Fri	Pakistan v New Zealand, 2nd ODI NZ won by 64 runs	11.00	Abu Dhabi
Nov 9 - Mon	Pakistan v New Zealand, 3rd ODI NZ won by 7 runs	11.00	Abu Dhabi
New Zealand won by ODI Serice 2-1
Nov 12 - Thu	Pakistan v New Zealand, 1st T20i Pak won by 49 runs	16.00	Dubai
Nov 13 - Fri	Pakistan v New Zealand, 2nd T20i Pak won by 7 runs	16.00	Dubai

Pakistan won the T20i Series 2-0

Dhoni Stars India's 99-run victory over Australia

A quickfire century by Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni set up India's 99-run victory over Australia on Wednesday as the home team leveled the one-day series 1-1.

MS Dhoni hit 124 runs off just 107 balls, putting on 119 for the 4th wicket partnership with Gautam Gambhir (76) and 136 for the 5th wicket with Suresh Raina (62) to push India to 354 /7 after they lost the toss in the day-night game.

After India amassed their highest ODI total against Australia, pacer Praveen Kumar took two early wickets including Captain Ricky Ponting for 12, to help India bowl out the visitors for 255 in 48.3 overs.

Michael Hussey (53) scored his 2nd consecutive half-century for Australia but young left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja took 3 for 35 to trigger a middle-order fall down and fast bowler Ishant Sharma claimed 2 for 37.

"We lost Sachin Tendulkar early but Virender Sehwag (40) and Gambhir gave us the start we needed," said Dhoni referring to a second-wicket partnership of 46.

"They set the platform for me and I was able to play my own innings," he said at the prize-giving service.

Gambhir struck his 2nd consecutive half-century as he and MS Dhoni turned the heat on an Australia attack weakened by the absence of injured pair Brett Lee and James Hopes.

Gambhir was run out by a direct hit at the bowler end after being sent back by Dhoni but the Captain and Raina tear into the bowling, smashing 108 runs in the final 10 overs.

Dhoni cracked 9 fours and 3 sixes and reached his fifth one-day international century with a straight six off medium-pacer Shane Watson before falling in the final over to Mitchell Johnson (3-75).

Praveen Kumar then clean bowled Australia opener Tim Paine for (8) before Sharma forced Watson (19) to edge to Tendulkar at the 1st slip with his 1st delivery.

Ponting was trapped lbw in the 11th over before Hussey bogus useful partnerships with Cameron White (23) and Adam Voges (36).

Jadeja, though, dismissed Mike Hussey, Shaun Marsh (21) and Voges to end Australia's chances.

"Full credit to India, they outplayed us in every aspect of the game tonight," said Ponting.

"It was always going to be a hard run-chase."

The 3rd game of the 7 match ODI series will be in New Delhi on Saturday.

Man of the match : MS Dhoni